HUDSON, MA | The Entwistle Co. has acquired the RollRazor roll converting process and now is the exclusive manufacturer of the machine.The RollRazor roll resizing technology is designed to resize (cut down) rolls and presents a cost-effective alternative to slitter/rewinders. Its precision cut on original mill-wound rolls, at speeds up to four rolls per hour, results in a 300% increase in production, lowers a plant’s cost per ton, and allows it to sell original-quality paper at market pricing.

Unlike slitter/rewinders, the RollRazor is capable of rapidly resizing paper rolls to exact specifications in just minutes without the need for rewinding. The Entwistle Co. acquired the technology from Mapleroc Industries, which developed the RollRazor paper saw in 2006.

The RollRazor machine uses a highly engineered blade to cut down parent rolls in a single pass, producing new, press-ready roll sizes within minutes. It is capable of professionally cutting paper grades ranging from tissue, cigarette, Bible to board grades, including coated and uncoated, with outstanding pressroom performance. By using RollRazor, printers, mills, and converters can lower their inventory, lower their cost per ton, and increase quality with only one operator. Printers much prefer this converting process because they can maintain the original mill-wound roll while experiencing better runability and printability on their presses.

Previously, plants would receive orders for paper sizes that did not match the dimensional sizes that were in their inventories. The plant was faced with remaking the roll over or passing on the order. The excess paper was often repulped, rewound, or sold at a discount in secondary markets. The RollRazor presents a cost-effective, time-effective solution to those problems. The machine cuts paper rolls at the length required by the customer, churning out precision cut rolls in a few minutes’ time.

“The reason I invented the RollRazor is our industry needed a production alternative to slitter/rewinders” says Todd Morrison, inventor and VP at The Entwistle Co.“No question slitting equipment has its value in history but studies show 67.5% of converting is simply cutting rolls down to a new size. The RollRazor is built solely for that purpose and it can do it faster, at a lower cost, and with exponentially better press-room performance. RollRazor is not a replacement for a slitter/rewinder; it is a lower cost alternative to a slitter. With this technology, a plant can view their inventories as opportunities for additional sales at full market pricing,” says Morrison.

RollRazor reportedly has been shown to increase production output by 300%, reduce operating costs by up to 80%, and decrease labor costs to $2.27 per ton and electricity costs to just 54 cents per short ton. As for end-result quality, a 30,000 roll study produced Six Sigma quality on press, the company says.

“The financial benefit of a process like RollRazor can’t be understated,” said Entwistle’s President Cary Corkin. “What would have previously been idle inventory can now be sold as press-ready paper at full market price instead of a second-market discount.”

“The RollRazor paper roll resizing machine is a product we’re proud to add to our company,” Corkin continued, “and we’re committed to seeing it continue to revolutionize the converting industry.” “We could not be happier with the acquisition of RollRazor,” says Morrison.